Nightwalker (DMC5 V)

Two

"So run your plan by me one last time?" Meg sighed, doing a mini wheely on a dented old razor she found laid on the ground. V walked calmly beside her, watching as she jostled with each bump on the uneven pavement. He's only known her for a few hours, but she was such a child.

"Get to the top, kill Urizen." V repeated.

"Yeah, see, you said that last time and I'm still not understanding how that's a plan." Meg's breath was forced, concentrating as she pushed forward and attempted a complicated trick. She failed, and the handlebars snapped in her grasp. She groaned. "Awe man, I used to be so good at those..."

"There is not much to plan." V caught up to her, watching as she chucked the metal aside and fell in step with him. "Once we arrive at the top, Dante will finish what we started. Of course, we'll need to rid some of its roots in order to succeed."

"Now that sounds more like a plan." Meg shoved her hands in her pockets, chains rattling against her jagged edged sword. On close inspection V noticed many deep and long engravings, similar to those on his body. They held a different meaning, however, and gave off a more powerful aura. "Saying 'Beat the shit out of him' isn't really a plan, more of an end goal."

"And what, exactly, is your end goal." V questioned for the first time since they'd begun walking. He'd tried to be vague, get her to answer without asking, but he never quite got the details he was looking for.

"Same as you and Dante, I suppose." She shrugged. "Lot of personal satisfaction, lot of wanting to kick his ass."

"That doesn't provide me with much... backstory." V complained in his whimsical tone, smirk ever present on his lips. Meg only shrugged again.

"What'd you want? Some sob story?" Meg scoffed, glancing over at the forward facing emo-punk man. She rolled her eyes, was she really any better? No, she wasn't, she was just as grunge. "I kick ass for a living, you learn to keep those sorts of things to yourself."

"So, you're a devil hunter like Dante?"

"Ha! I wish!" Meg chuckled heartily, her back slouching forward. She straightened herself out, sighing in disdain. She shook her head. "No, Urizen, he stole something from me."

"Hm.." V furrowed his brows, he didn't remember ever stealing from this woman. In fact, he didn't remember Meg at all. Perhaps Urizen did something while they were apart, stole something after they separated. "What did-"

A huge crash sounded from the church over the horizon, and the steeple crumbled down into itself. A loud roar came from the ivory walls, Meg looked over at her counterpart.

"Smells like demon." She said offhandedly, as if she were trying to convince him to check it out.

"Well, then we've got no choice, do we?" V broke out into a smile when Megs lips pulled a grin.

"Last one there's a cripple!" She joked, smacking his arm and taking off in the direction of danger.

"Need my cane?" V quipped back, riding on his shadows next to the sprinting woman. She snorted, picking up the pace as they raced towards the scene.

When they arrived, the fight was nearly over.

The Goliath stood uneasily as it pulled itself from the rubble, a boy with short white hair and a modified sword pointed his gun towards the beast. Griffon was quick to intervene, distracting the giant with its quick movements.

"I curse my stars in bitter grief and woe," V recited from his book, and Meg found herself suddenly very interested in the man. He twirled his cane, walking around the rubble as Meg walked straight over it. "That made my love to high and me, so low."

His book clapped shut and his cane thrust up, his nimble fingers catching the rod. He pointed the handle towards the monster, a puff of particles swirling from his arm and the end of his cane. Out materialized the panther, red eyed gleaming as it raced towards its prey. It's tail became a blade, curving around itself and spinning until the entire animal itself was slicing up the Goliath's gullet.

It collapsed to the ground, sickly and white, as the panther jumped away.

"Why... why are you...?" The beasts words did not go unnoticed by the Ginger. It pushed itself up, but her chain was ready. It shot out to wrap around its head twice, hook slamming down into the ground not to far away. Her boot came down on the chain, which was stuck in the nick of her boot between sole, heel and earth, and yanked. The beasts head was forced back down to the ground, cracking the stones as her leather gloves squeaked with the force of holding Goliath down.

"Little wanderer," V sighed apathetically, walking forward and raising his cane. "Hie thee home."

His steel end pierced the beast between the eyes, sinking in until over half was seethed. It went cross eyed and spammed, it's resistance against the chains suddenly stopping, and died as V pulled back his cane. It's body burned and flaked, disappearing with the wind. Meg stepped off the iron links, yanking once more so they would retract back around her torso.

"Thought I was gunna have to pick you out of his... uh..." The white haired boy came to stand next to the slouching V. "Tummy teeth."

"Pardon my delay," V's gravely voice held a hint of humor, tucking his book into his jacket. He motioned towards Meg, who was kicking around the leftover pieces of Goliath. "I came across yet another valuable asset."

"Yeah, looks valuable..." The boy frowned, catching her eye. Meg stopped her defiling of the dead, waving halfheartedly. "Who even is that?"

"Get your antisocial ass over there and introduce yourself woman!" Griffon scolded Meg, who had been reaching for a can of peaches. He swooped down, clawing at her ponytail and shoving her forward. He repeated the action once more, laughing as she swatted at him and stumbled back nearly into V's chest.

"Go fly into the sun, you over-fed, feathery roach!" She threw a piece of baseball sized rubble, knocking the crackling bird in the head. He squawked painfully, flaps lopsided as he struggled to get away. She turned around, coming face to face with a clearly amused V. She scowled, taking a step back to crate space.

"Uh, Nero, nice to meet you." The boy, Nero, held out his hand to shake. Meg took it, giving him a tight lipped and brief smile.

"Meg, pleasure is mine." She let go with haste, wiping her hand down her baggy black shirt. God, she hated touching people. "You one of Dante's friends?"

"Something like that." Nero nodded, then gestured to her. "You?"

"More or less."